Don't....

(date of birth, favourite football team etc..) Anyone with Encarta could do this. A few biographical details are useful, but are not essential.Photocopy loads of artworks …

...and stick them into your sketchbook with no written analysis or other information. … and forget to write the titles down!

Treat your sketchbook like an exercise book …

Don’t produce blocks of writing, underlined, with no visual consideration or interest.

Write without checking the facts! …

Make sure that you are accurate about dates, media used and especially the gender of your chosen artist!

Plagiarise…

(include quotations from other writers as if they are your own words). This is always obvious to the reader.

Do....

Make notes on why you’re looking at this artist… what you admire, what you don’t – how this artist’s work relates to your Studio Work. Make your research personal to your particular project.Choose one or two good artworks … … annotate them and make copies of them (to practice brush technique, colour mixing or something similar). … include the artist’s name, title of the artwork, year, medium and where you found it (web address or book title and page).Think about your research in a visual way…use colour, headings and images to complement your notes. Compose the pages so that they look interesting and varied.Use the correct vocabulary…i.e. ‘tone’ is more accurate that ‘light and shadow’. Remember that at IB level, you will be assessed on the quality of your written work! Don’t be afraid to use adjectives, especially when evaluating an artwork (giving your opinion).Include one or two relevant quotations…(e.g. the artist writing about his / her ideas OR a well-known critic) and always use quotation marks. Include the name of the person who you are quoting and write down where you found it.